My first Curvy Kate bra~ Will it Thrill Me?

*Edit* This bra did thrill me, until Curvy Kate announced that their Star in a Bra competition is not open to women with implants. Because the majority of my readers are ladies with implants, I know that recommending this brand will not go over well. So we’ll just stay tuned to the future and see what happens.

I have had my first Curvy Kate bra for a few days now, long enough to resist order a few more. But with the addition of a Curvy Kate USA Facebook page and the announcement that there will be a Star in a Bra competition in the US this year, I just had to do a review and share some of my love for my new Curvy Kate bra.

So, where shall we start? How about with my one and only problem with the bra? The band, like always!! I bought the Thrill Me in a 28H knowing the band would be a little large. After all, I know I need a 26, but I have to make do with a 28. The band looks small, starting at 25 inches. But it stretches!! Like, really stretches, over 6 inches. One thing that I think would help (and it would be a nice touch) would be to add a little boning in the side seam. This feature can be seen on the Affinitas Intimates Charlotte. It would break up that band stretch and add some side stability to the bra.

So let’s start with the bra itself. I’m still working on finding the right size for me, with the acknowledgment that I’ll need to alter the band down. That said, in the image below I am wearing the Thrill Me in a 28H, not quite right on the fit, so I have a different size on order.

Thrill Me bra with suspender brief

So first thing that I love, the center gore height. Some of you may know from previous blogs that I have an issue with the height of the gore in my Freya bras. The Thrill Me has a gore that sits an inch lower than Freya’s styles in the G+ range.

Center gore height

My next favorite thing is the cups construction. The Thrill Me has a three-part cup construction, but uses a vertical seam structure with modeled cups. The outside portion of the cup is the largest with the seam located in the center front of the cup. To add to this, the wire is something I really love. Most bras come delivered with a flat wire, just shaped like a U. The wires on the Thrill Me are slightly curved, like they are made to go around your ribcage. I absolutely love this about this bra.

Internal cup construction

Next are the details. Some people would not like this I’m sure, but I like the metal details on the straps with the little bows. The straps are very stretchy just like the band, probably a result of the silky material used on this bra. The cup detailing is very pretty without being overwhelming. It appears that the ruffles and details would show through clothing, but I have not had issues with it unless I try to wear a thing T-shirt. The overall shape of the cups is very pretty, with the material being strong enough to sit up on its own and still hold the shape of the cups.

On to the matching unders. I like these, I really do. They have cute detachable garters and are comfortable under jeans. But it just seems like the hit at just the right point to give the illusion of fat. Just standing still and not moving these gave me the illusion of a much larger muffin top then what I actually have. Yes, I have some fat in the flank area, but not that much. It does make you want to hit the gym up for some cardio. The ruffles are super cute without pushing the over done envelope and the lower half of the back is a see through mesh. A great mix of sexy and cute in one pair of panties.

Last but not least is the look of the bra. This is one of those bras that you can’t help but feel pretty wearing. As bloggers all over have said this bra gives the “cakes on a plate” look to the breast. They look full, lifted, very old fashioned sexy. This bra is ideal for my shape, with the exception of the center gore. Hopefully a size change will fix the fit problems I have. In my case the edge of the cup is a little close to the nipple for comfort, so I have a 28HH on order. My ideal size in this bra may be an unheard of 26J. Now for the ladies that have implants that are reading this, I do like this bra with my implants. The wire shape is not overly thin or thick. It is not quite as supportive as I’d like so there is some extra jiggle going on, probably because the band needs to be altered down. At the end of a day of wear there is no rush to get the bra off. In fact it is comfortable to switch from a day time wear bra to a night out bra. It looks a little fancy for day wear, but it looks great under clothes and is incredibly comfortable. Wear it with jeans, a blazer, a sexy dress, it all goes. I’d recommend this bra to any woman who is looking for something pretty but functional.

I really wonder what it is about the Showgirl range! I’d take a 26 in general, but even more so in these bras. I read your review before I ordered, so I figured I may end up in the same situation, but I had to try the range. I have a 28HH Thrill Me, Tempt Me, and Tease Me on order so we’ll see how those go. If I can get a fit in the cups I’ll alter the band to fit.

Hm, I didn’t even really think about altering the band since the cups on the H were too small. If I come across a 28HH, I may try it… I’m always afraid of “messing up” bras, especially if I bought them new! Let us know how it goes if you do alter them… I may pluck up the courage to try my hand at it!

I have the same issues with this bra but make do with a 28G. I’m wearing it on the tightest hook and I’m not averse to adjustment in the near future. Imperfect as it is, I’m still disappointed it’s been discontinued.
I know exactly what you mean about the point the shorts sit at. I find the elastic on the shorts to be tighter than on the bra and I think that’s why they cut in. They’re a big improvement in this colour than my older Ivory and Wine versions though, as both of those come up lower and the sizing was smaller.
I’m interested to hear how you get on in the Tempt Me. I had to size up two cup sizes but now I have the right fit it’s one of my favourite bras!

hi iam maria i read what you wrote ,first i want to start with your mesurements ,my mesurement is 28 the back and 39,5 bust ,i try 28HH and its small in the cups,i try 28J and its small to [i think] i try 30HH and the back is loose,then i try 30J and of course it was big in the cups.Now i order again the tease me in 28J i want to try it again ,the tease me has biger central from thrill me 1 inch .i think that thrill me and tease me are different ,they are not same .

Hi Maria. My current measurements range from 25.5-26″ in the ribcage and 37.5-38 in the fullest bust.

The sizing with these seems to be a little awkward. The Thrill Me and Tease Me are definitely two different bras, with different sizing. They do give a similar silhouette though. I have the Tease Me in a 28HH that fits like a dream, but I ordered a Thrill Me in 28HH and there is a tiny gap at the top of the cup. Both 28HH are actually tighter in the band then the 28H. So I’m not sure if I’m between the two sizes, but I prefer the fit of the 28H even though it is slightly small, because the strap location. I have read a few times that different cycles of the Thrill Me had different sizes, so you could order the black and have it be large in your size, but a different color would fit. CK is working on it though and listening to feedback.

Have you tried the Tempt Me? I could actually wear that in a 28J, my 28HH is very close to a nipple slip. I’d definitely stick with the 28 band in the Showgirl range as they tend to be more stretchy. With the newer season bras you may find the 28J has a completely different fit. The Thrill Me has been discontinued for the new seasons, but the Tease Me has a gorgeous pink or blue option.

can you try the new tease me ?i ordered them in 28 J ,i dont know i confuse ,do you believe that they are different from oldest tease me?in thrill me i was tried some sizes but i cant say that was perfect.i have the thrill me in your colour and peach plum in size 28HH and the central gore doesnt sit flat and in some days of the month i think that they came out .i want to tell you that i have impants too but i have them 9 years and my breasts dont have the full of the top ,they look very natural

Maria,
I have not had a chance to try the new Tease Me yet, CK is new to the US so there are limited sizes available. I have to wait on a US retailer to start carrying the 28 bands or wait until they are available at retailer that ships internationally with out charging an arm and a leg.

It’s nice to meet another lady with implants in my size range! The thing about sizing with implants is you have to think about the type of implants you have. Do you know what type you have? In my case I have UHP (or XHP) silicone. They have the most projection with the smallest width. So I find that I have problems with the projection of my implants fitting properly into a bra. Because of the projection, I need a cup with less width and more depth. I have been told that they regular CK ranges offer more depth, but I have yet to try them. Because of my implant style one of my favorite bras is the Masquerade Rhea. The band fits small (my 28 fits like a 26, so you’d need a 30) and the cup has an more open top. The bra itself fits like a 26J instead of a 28H, meaning one bandsize small and one cupsize up.

If you’d like individual fitting help you can send me an email (bybabysrules@gmail.com). I’ll send you a few questions about your implants and your measurements. I’ll get some information about the problems you have with your bras and what kind of bras you need and like. If you are comfortable I’ll ask you to take a few photos from the waist to the neck (no need to show your face, you can be totally anonymous) so we can see what is wrong with a particular bra and what you can try to fix it.
I’m going to throw this out on twitter to see if there are any other ladies that are more experienced with Curvy Kate bras that may be able to help you with sizing.

hi i live in Greece and we dont have many choices for bras we have backs from 32 and the bigger cup is F ,all this years i was wering 34F and ofcource it was wrong we have some cups in G but backs from 36 and 38 .look i dont know what type was my implants i have them many years ,i will keep your adreess and i sent mine .the next week iam waiting the new tease me in size 28J .i sent you some photos .I try the masquarade in 30H and i dont like it very much.i was buying from amazon uk and brastop .i believe that curvy kate is more comfortable than panache and most soft,have you try the unpadded bras of curvy kate?i try them too ,i try 28HH and i cant wear it it was very tight i have now 30hh and the lace is itching .i have very big problem ,iwas buying and i always sent them back .do you mesure with bra or not? i mesure without a bra i believe that the bra made them smaller and you cant find the right size.I bought the new curvy kate from Amazon UK .Now in my drawer i have three bras 28HH and i cant wear them ,i dont like very small in the top .i dont feel support

The fabric in the CK bras is definitely softer, but that is also part of why it is hard to find the right size. The fabric used in the Showgirl range is so stretchy! Their other bras are much tighter in the band, so it would not surprise me if you are more comfortable in a 30. The lace may take some time to soften up, a few washings may make it better. I also have sensitive skin and some of the lacier bras are not wearable to me. Have you tried any other brands? Freya has bras in the HH range, but their center gores are very high.
As for measuring, my current implants are still fairly new, so they are not as natural as they could be. I get the same measurement with a bra on as I do with them off. If I lean forward to measure, I do get a slightly larger measurement. Of course, measuring is not 100%, and women with implants tend to size out 1-2 sizes larger then what their measurements indicate.
There is a Polish brand that you may consider looking into, Ewa Michalak. She does do some custom orders, at VERY reasonable prices. I am considering ordering from her very soon to help get something that fits me better.

hi what do you mean about the impants ,if the mesure say 39 ,i get 40 to find the right size,how i do this?sometimes i think that i made wrong decision to put implants because here i cant find any bra to wear,as i wrote before i was wearing 34 F .the only thing that i found right was the thongs and shorts ,iam size 8 .if you dont mind i sent you a mail and we talk from there

I honestly had different feelings on Curvy Kate disallowing implants before reading a bit of your blog. My first thought was, “Good!” I am often dissapointed when browsing bras for my size (32hh/30J natural) and the models have implants, because I then have no clue how the bra would look on me. Same when a b cup is modeling a bra that comes in a k cup! These thoughts are never against the models personally, and bra blogs and the bratabase are helping me have an idea what the brands/styles look like on a variety of women. I’m starting to think that there just needs to be a larger variation in model shapes, sizes, natural, implants, etc… (Thank you, Ewa Michalak!) You may not want to see ONLY natural breasts modelling bras. This thought never occurred to me… Partly because I can’t identify, but that doesn’t make it any less valid of a perspective. If Curvy Kate wants the contest open to all D+ 18+ women they shouldn’t really disallow contestants. Just show the bras on more than one model!
You seem like someone who also values other perspectives as well, so I thought I’d share…

V, thanks for stopping in to share your thoughts. I have the same irritations as you when it comes to seeing a large cup bra being modeled by a B cup. Really when it comes down to it, I’d like to see variety modeling, based on the target audience. To me having a 28D model a bra line meant to support a 34J or more is just as silly. That 28D would mean nothing to you as a 30J/32HH, as you’ll have different needs in a bra. A wide variety of sizes in models would allow a woman to find a model they can identify with no matter what their bra size or breast type. I do think Curvy Kate is building that model base with their competition, something many other brands/companies are not doing. That right there is very admirable in a company!
I’d love Curvy Kate to allow women with implants to enter and I think (at least with their US competition) that they are not allowing a large part of the market base. In 2008, 250,000 women in the US had augmentation surgery. That’s a large chunk of women to potentially alienate. I’ve also never seen a company that uses models exclusively with implants, in fact there is no way to identify even if the women do have implants. A lot of people mistake tons of padding and push up (in a badly fitted bra) to be implants, when in reality it is not. A woman with implants is more likely to get a professional fitting after her new implants, and wear a correct bra. Me personally, I wore a badly fitted 32A, too large in the band and cup. Now with implants my bra needs are the same as any other woman. I have bounce and need support, even if I have breasts that are slightly more firm then natural breast tissue.

That might well be the reason for Curvy Kate disallowing implants, but the first thought that came to my mind was that perhaps they are trying to get across the message that D+ does not necessarily mean implants. I have no problem with implants (or reductions), but it seems like a lot of people equate D+ with implants and don’t understand that plenty of D+ women have never had an augmentation (they may have even already had reductions!). So for the purposes of dispelling that specific myth (if that’s their goal), I think it’s a good idea for them to feature non-augmented models.

However, plenty of women have implants and it’s not exactly fair that they aren’t eligible, since they too would be wearing those bras! And as far as modeling purposes go, I find it most helpful to see a bra modeled on different sizes (Ewa Michalak does that really well).